FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention generally relates to electrostatic copiers, and more specifically to such copy machines having plural input optical scan stations for receiving images to be copied combined with a common developing and copy feed mechanism for making copies of the scanned images in a multiplexed fashion and selectively delivering the copies back to the correct station.
In the earliest patent application referred to above, Ser. No. 718,260, there is disclosed a multiplexed photocopier system having a number of independantly usable optical scanning stations that are combined, in a multiplexing fashion, with a lesser number of developing and paper feeding mechanisms, to more effectively provide additional copier capability, in a more efficient fashion, than conventional photocopiers having only one scan station for each machine. In one embodiment of this machine there is provided a video memory in the form of a magnetic tape, disc, or other, to selectively store and temporarily retain an optical image received from one of the scan stations during the time that the common development mechanism of the machine is cycling to produce a copy in response to an earlier operated scan station.
In other embodiments of such machines the common developing mechanism makes plural copies in response to operation of a plurality of scan stations, whether the different scan stations are operated in time sequence or simultaneously.